Container cover



Oct. 31, 1967 w. M. DAMRON 3,349,975

CONTAINER COVER Filed Oct. 22, 1965 f l WENT. 47

/NVENTOR WILL/AM MITCHELL DAMRO/V MMMMW ATTORNEYS United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A cover for the perforated dispensing end of a container is disclosed herein to be provided with an annular central section which is adapted to grip the reduced perforated dispensing end of the container and to seal it against sifting of the contents as well as supporting the cover on the body, the cover being formed with an external wall that conforms to the contour of the container body.

This invention relates to covers for containers and is particularly concerned with a container that provides an effective sift proof closure for a perforated dispensing portion of the container and at the same time enhances the appearance of the entire assembly.

It is therefore the major object of this invention to provide a novel cover for removably fitting over the perforated top section of a container which is shaped to conform to the container contour and provide an overall pleasing appearance.

A further object is to provide a novel container cover which is provided with an annular central section adapted to grip the reduced perforated dispensing end of a container body and seal it against sifting of the contents as well as support the cover on the body, and the cover also being formed with an external wall that conforms to the contour of the body to thereby provide an overall external pleasing appearance. The cover is preferably mainly a molded plastic unit.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a container provided with a top closure according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the container of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view partly in section showing the mounting of the closure on the container body;

FIGURE 4 is a section substantially on line 44 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view partly in section like FIGURE 3 but illustrating another form of the invention.

The container assembly comprises a body having a removable closure cover 11.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the container body has at its upper end an annular bead 12 above which the container top wall 13 reduces in size to an upwardly projecting cylindrical section 14 of materially reduced diameter. Usually the top wall 13 and section 14 are integrally formed as a separate-piece which is clenched fluid tight to the side wall of body 10 at bead 12.

The end of section 14 is in an integral wall provided with a series of dispensing openings 15, in the manner of the usual talcum powder can. The body wall is of regular contour, preferably oval as shown, and as will appear to cover 11 has the same contour.

Cover 11 is preferably a one-piece molded plastic unit of a material such as high impact styrene, cellulose acetate, high density polypropylene, high density polyethylone or any other rigid plastic material. The cover 11 may be manufactured by injection molding or by any other suitable method. The invention, however, is not to be construed as limited to any one particular method of manufacturing the cover. The cover 11 has a flat top wall 16, an internal central cylindrical skirt 17 and an external oval skirt 18 which is longer than skirt 17 and has essentially the same dimensions and contour as the body side walls, so that when the cover is placed atop the body, the lower edge of skirt 18 abuts bead 12 and appears to be a substantial continuation of the body side wall.

The cylindrical plastic ski-rt 17 is of such size and characteristics as to firmly grip the sides of the cylindrical top wall section 14 onto which it is forced when the cover is mounted on the container, the inner wall 19 of the skirt 17 being smooth and cylindrical.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 a resilient pad 21 of soft compressible material such as a disc of foamed polyurethane or the like is disposed within skirt 17 between the perforated end of section 14 and the internal cover surface 22. The pad 21 is compressed in place when the cover is mounted on the body to elfectively seal the perforations. Preferably pad 21 is attached as by adhesive to surface 22 so as to be removable with the cover 11 when the container contents are to be dispensed.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 5 the cover 11 is a relatively softer plastic molded unit of polyethylene or polypropylene of sufficient resiliency that the pad 21 may be omitted and the surface 22 at the bottom of the skirt 17 snugly conforms to the shape of the wall containing perforations 15 to extend over and seal against material being discharged from openings 15. The central portion of upper cover wall 16 may be somewhat bulged upwardly as indicated exaggeratedly at 23 in FIGURE 5.

The invention therefore provides a novel container closure which is large enough to be readily grasped by the customer during mounting and removal, which automatically seals the end perforations when forced into position on the top of the body, and gives a pleasing uniform size appearance to the whole assembly when mounted on the body.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A removable cover for a dispensing container of the type having a body formed with side walls of regular contour and a non-removable top wall having a reduced diameter section having a smooth external surface of uniform diameter at its upper end arising from an annular shoulder on the body and formed with a perforated end wall across said upper end for dispensing, said cover comprising an integral unit of plastic material formed with concentric annular outer and inner skirts, said outer skirt having end abutment with said shoulder and being externally formed as a substantial continuation of the body side wall contour, and said inner skirt being shorter than the outer skirt and having an internal smooth surface adapted to closely engage and tightly grip said upper end of said body top section, and flexible means on said cover interior at the bottom of said inner skirt engaged in snug conformity under pressure with substantially the entire outer surface of said perforated end wall so that said perforations are sealed against dispensing when the cover is on the body.

2. The removable cover defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible means is a resilient body interposed and adapted to be compressed between the cover surface at the interior of said inner skirt and the perforated wall of said reduced diameter body section.

3. The removable cover defined in claim 1, wherein the cover is of relatively soft deformable material wherein said flexible means comprises the interior surface of the cover within the inner skirt outwardly deformed in snug engagement with said perforated end Wall when the cover is mounted on the body.

4. A removable cover for a dispensing container of the type having a body formed with side walls of regular contour and a non-removable top portion having a first reduced action arising from an annular shoulder on the body and a second reduced cylindrical section arising from said first section and formed with a perforated end wall for dispensing, said cover comprising an integral unit of inherently resilient plastic material formed with concentric annular outer and inner skirts, said outer skirt having end abutment with said shoulder and being externally formed as a substantial continuation of the body side wall contour, and said inner skirt being cylindrical and shorter than the outer skirt and having a smooth uniform diameter cylindrical surface adapted to tightly resiliently grip said second top section with the cover interior at the bottom of said inner skirt in snug flexible conformity with the outer surface of said end wall so that said perforations are sealed against dispensing when the cover is on the body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,189,451 7/1916 Hyatt 222-542 X 1,365,246 1/1921 Kendall 222-542 X 1,512,540 10/ 192.4 Hothersall 222-542 1,979,706 11/1934 Reamy.

2,536,655 1/1951 Nesebar 215-41 X 2,639,057 5/1953 Gronemeyer et al. 215-41 X 2,775,372 12/1956 Jordan 222-562 X 2,831,613 4/1958 Sofier 222-182 3,179,313 4/1965 De Malglaive 222-562 X 3,202,307 8/1965 Rainer et al. 215-39 3,233,788 2/1966 Diamond 222-182 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

4. A REMOVABLE COVER FOR A DISPENSING CONTAINER OF THE TYPE HAVING A BODY FORMED WITH SIDE WALLS OF REGULAR CONTOUR AND A NON-REMOVABLE TOP PORTION HAVING A FIRST REDUCED ACTION ARISING FROM AN ANNULAR SHOULDER ON THE BODY AND A SECOND REDUCED CYLINDRICAL SECTION ARISING FROM SAID FIRST SECTION AND FORMED WITH A PERFORATED END WALL FOR DISPENSING, SAID COVER COMPRISING AN INTEGRAL UNIT OF INHERENTLY RESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL FORMED WITH CONCENTRIC ANNULAR OUTER AND INNER SKIRTS, SAID OUTER SKIRT HAVING END ABUTMENT WITH SAID SHOULDER AND BEING EXTERNALLY FORMED AS A SUBSTANTIAL CONTINUATION OF THE BODY SIDE WALL CONTOUR, AND SAID INNER SKIRT BEING CYLINDRICAL AND SHORTER THAN THE OUTER SKIRT AND HAVING A SMOOTH UNIFORM DIAMETER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE ADAPTED TO TIGHTLY RESILIENTLY GRIP SAID SECOND TOP SECTION WITH THE COVER INTERRIOR AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID INNER SKIRT IN SNUG FLEXIBLE CONFORMITY WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID END WALL SO THAT SAID PERFORATIONS ARE SEALED AGAINST DISPENSING WHEN THE COVER IS ON THE BODY. 